Trench hoe dipper



-Feb. 21, 1961 0, ANDERSON E 2,972,425

IRENCH HOE DIPPER Filed Jan. 14, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS James a/imiemon 12019611 flZJikz'ngeP 2/4 2. L022} Jr.

1961 J. o. ANDERSON ETAL 2,972,425

TRENCH HOE DIPPER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 14, 1959 INVENTORS Q' i :ATTORNEY 1961 J. o. ANDERSON ET AL TRENCH HOE DIPPER Filed Jan. 14, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2 34; 3 26 -2 I 5? J0 P F 20 2 J4 30 20 64 I I! 50 IN VENTORS a I w" a H A RNEY 2,912,425 TRENCH HOE DIPPER James 0. Anderson, Robert M. Stringer, and Van D. Lott,

This invention relates to excavating machinery and, more particularly, to a trench hoe dipper.

Throughout large porticns of the coastal plains ofthe country, there are vast areas where, for most of the time, permanent water lies at or close to the level of the soil, ranging from zero depth down to about five and onehalf to six feet. Here the soil'is rich and wouldbe productive but for 'poor drainage. Where, by ditching, the water can be drained laterally and channeled into flowing outlets, the soil becomes sweet and sufficiently dry as to be tillable. Heretofore, while ditching with a conventional drag line bucket, the width of the bottom of the ditch was determined by the width of the bucket bottom, this being considerably wider than is necessary or desirable for ditches. It is desirable also that the sides of the ditch slope upwardly and outwardly with a slope ratio of about three-fourths to one. Thus, if-the ditch bottom be excessively wide, so also is the top of the ditch; and in the production of such a ditch with-equipment previously available, the contractor dug out about half again as much earth than would have been necessaryhad he been able to dig the desired cross-sectional shape. The primary object of the invention is to provide a dipper for excavating a generally V-shaped ditch with a rel-- atively narrow bottom and with sides of the' optimum slope ratio. A further object of the invention is to provide a generally V-shaped trench hoe dipper wherein the shape of the dipper front determines the transverse cross-sectional shape of the ditch and wherein, during normal working of the dipper, the latter completely occupies and fills the portions of the out being completed.

In order to maintain a predetermined depth ofcut, or alternatively, to maintain a substantially uniform increase or decrease inthe ditch'depth, it'is intended that the upper portions cutting edges-of the dipper function as a gauge, when the dipper starts its working'stroke, so that the operator can judge the depth'of the cut'from his normal operating position. And while the major portion of the dipper body is of compound curvature with rocker-shaped runners'along the bottom, a further object is to provide a fiat chisel-like portion at the lowerfr'ont of the dipper rocker, so that the bottom of the portion of the ditch cut with the previous stroke serves as a guiding surface for the start of the next stroke.

In order that the ditch sides be smooth and that the ditch bottom be compacted, a major object of the invention is to provide a dipper body so shaped that, during the cutting stroke which is first horizontal, the'cutting edges at the front of the dipper first cleanly slice off the earth to be removed. Then, during a subsequent rocking motion, while the dipper fills with loose'earth, rocker-shaped runners along the dipper bottom are utilized for effecting a combined rocking andrubbin'g along the newly-cut ditch bottom.

A further object in the provision of'ro'cker-shaped runners along the dipperbottom is the 'reinforcementof the dipper bod'y,tthe runners serving also as-str tictural 2,972,425 Fat-tented Feb. 21, 1961 members for transmitting the tremendous forces exertedbetween the-lower-fr'ont cutting members of the dipper body and the driving member attached to the upper rear By utilizing the structural strength pfortionof the dipper. o'f the runners and certain other elements as skeletal bracing, itisintended to provide a dipper body which" may be fabricated in large part out of sheet metal; An' additional object is the construction of a dipper which may be fabricated from readily available metalstocks,

with conventional welding, cutting and rolling equip-- ment thereby keeping at a bare minimum the costs for" tools and jigs required fo'r'its production.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a trench" hoe dipper which is immovably mounted on the end of a handle so as to move at all times with the ban-- dle.

plete control of the dipper can be maintained at all times.

Heretofore, when ditching with conventional drag line equipment, it wasimpossible to control the bite or cut of the bucket so as to form smooth walls along the ditch,-

and in unloading the earth removed from the ditch, it was dumped in high piles alongside the ditch, then neces-- sitating a bulldozer to spread it out over the adjacent portion of-a field. A feature of this invention is theprovision of a trench hoedipper which, while cutting a smooth-wall ditch, may be unloaded progressively with a side-swing motion of the boom to distribute the dirt so that-it may subsequently be broken up and spread evenly with a harrow.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specifications and drawings, in which: I

Fig.- 1 is'a side elevation of the trench hoe dipper" mountedon an excavating machine, showing the dipper in raised position;

Fig; 2 is a'perspective view of the machine and'dipper dipper 2 is mounted on a comparatively short boom 4' of an excavating machine-5 of the type customarily usedfor drag line and the like work. .The detailsof the machine itself are not important to this invention other than that the inner end of the boom is mounted by' horizontal pivot on the upper chassis 6 of the excavator and that the upper chassis rotates about avertic'al pivotal support on the under chassis 7. 'Dipper conventional winch mechanism on the excavator. When cable system 12 is pulled, dipper handle 8 rotates about pivot 10 so as to swing dipper 2 upwardly and away from machine 5. Dipper 2 is swung towards machine 5 by tensioning cable system 16 which is yoked to the dipper and runs'over sheaves 18 on boom 4.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, dipper 2 is formed at its front with a pair of wing-like strips 20 ofcomparatively heavy metal plate, strips 20 diverging upwardly and outwardly in the general form of a V and being welded near their top ends to a heavy cross bar Mg-preferably formed of'heavy and extremely strong pip'e- At their bottom ends, wing, strips 20 are welded to a'fiatbottom plate zlof hard steel having along"its With the handle hinged intermediate its ends on" the end of a relatively short boom of an excavator, comfront a beveled cutting edge 24. A curved plate 26, preferably somewhat thinner than bottom plate 22 but sufliciently strong to constitute a backbone element for the dipper, is'welded to the rear edge ,of the bottom plate andcurves upwardly and rearwardly to the upper rear end of the dipper. The inner side of curved plate 26 is preferable substantially flush at its forward end with the upper surface of bottom plate 22. A curved band 28 extends around the outer side at the top of dipper 2, band 28 having its front ends welded at 3%) to strips '20 and its intermediate portion welded to the upperrear side of curved plate 26. A segment-shape plate 32 is welded to the top edge of the dipper shell and to the upper rear edge of curved plate 26, and

curved band 28, and welding 42 to curved plate 26.

Three laterally spaced runners 44 are welded onto the underside of curved plate 26, the runners forming an integral unit with the curved plate. Extending directly forwardly from the outer ones of runners 44 are teeth 46 of conventional configuration, the teeth having their shanks removably secured over plate 22 by conventional attaching means indicated generally at 4-8; Overlapping the outer sides of wing strips 29 are a pair of elongate cutter-plates Stl, integrally welded to wing strips 20 and having beveled cutting edges 52 extending forwardly from the wing strips. Cutter plates 50 are of hardened steel stock.

A pair of reinforcing plates 54- are preferably welded in'the corners, at the junctures between the outer ends of cross bar 21 and the upper forward inner sides of side walls 36. Ears 56 are welded on top of the mid portion of cross bar 21 for mounting, by means of a pin 57 (Fig. 2), on the lower end of dipper handle 8. Ears 58 welded onto the forward side of cross bar 21 are disposed nearthe outer ends of the cross bar for yoking to cable system 16. Welded to the top of segmental plate 32 and to the rear side of curved band 23 are cars 60 which are attached by pins 61 to rigid diagonal braces 62 which extend forwardly and upwardly to dipper handle 8, shortly below its pivot 10, where they are secured as at 63.

It should be noted that the upper ends 64 of wing strips 20 andcutter plates t? extend somewhat above the remainder of the top of the dipper. In a successful embodiment of the invention, the total length of each wing strip and associated cutter plate is seven feet and their upper ends 64 extend diagonally outwardly and upwardly a length of one footbeyond the upper edge of curved band 28 and the upper edge of the adjacent side wall 36. From wing tip to wing tip, the total spread across the front of dipper 2 at its top is slightly over nine feet whereas the width across the front at the bottom is approximately eighteen inches. The over-all shapeof the dipper shell is generally that of a quartersphere in that, as seen in side elevation, the dipper bottom constituted by curved plate 26 and runners 44 is rocker shaped along about 90 of arc and, as seen in top plan view, the top of the dipper is substantially half a circle.

In operation, dipper 2 is worked as a scoop to start the ditch at the desired depth, which is gauged by observing the distance between the upper ends 64 of the wing strips and cutting plates 50 and the top surface of the ground. At the start of a normal working stroke, the lower end of dipper handle 8 is swung downwardly and forwardly by pulling on cable system 16 until the dipper handle is substantially vertical and the beveled cutting edges 52 on the front edges of cutter plates 50 extend directly upwardly and outwardly against the Y -shaped sides 66 of the ditch, and flat bottom plate 22 is substantially flat along the narrow bottom 68 of the ditch. Excavating machine 5 is then backed rearwardly so as to pull the cutting edges along the sides and bottom of the dipper into the earth. Beveled cutting edges 52 on cutter plates 50 and cutting edge 24 on bottom plate 22 slice cleanly into the earth so as to sharply define the shape of the cut, which constitutes the entire cross sectional shape'of the ditch, and all of the earth removed with that portion of the stroke feeds directly back into the forward portion of the open front end of the dipper.:' It should be noted that the curvature of the side walls 36, which recede toward the rear from wings strips 20, and the rocker shape of the dipper bottom provide clearance of the dipper, behind the cutting edges, away from the side 66 and bottom 63 of the ditch cut. The curved, generally quarter-sphere form of the interior of the dipper also permits it to pack full, with no corner voids. Then, by pulling on cables 16,'dipper handle 8 is pivoted further so as to swing the open front end of the dipper upwardly and towards machine 5. During this portion of the working stroke, the dipper scoops out a portion of the earth lying above the bottom of the next succeeding cut, the scooped earth falling downwardly and rearwardly to fill the interior of the dipper as the latter completes its working stroke. Then, after swinging the full dipper upwardly to clear the surface of the earth and raising the outer end of boom. 4, the upper chassis 6 of the excavating machine is rotated so as to swing the boom and dipper assembly off to the side of the ditch. Simultaneous with the swinging motion, cable 12 is pulled so.

as to swing dipper 2 downwardly and thence upwardly away from machine 5, thereby spreading the scooped out earth over the surface of the land adjacent the ditch.

Operating on the coastal plain of South Carolina, and mounted on an excavating machine of the size which ordinarily handles ,a three-quarter yard drag line bucket, dipper 2 is capable of cutting. about fifteen hundred linear feet of ditch, about four and a half to five and a half feet deep,,while shearing off both surface and deeply imbedded tree stumps encountered along the way. During the working stroke of the dipper, tremendous forces are exerted between the cutting edges at the bottoms and sides of the dipper front and the dipper handle 8 and braces 62, the latter forces being transmitted by the skeletal structure comprised of cross bar 21, braces 34,- curved plate 26 with the integral runners 44,.bottom plate 22, and the integral wing strips 20. Furthermore,v the spread between cars 58 is wide, and permits the pull applied by cable system 16 to counteractthe twisting forces acting on the dipper and keep it straight, thereby relieving the twisting strain which otherwise would be applied against the connection between the dipper and its handle, and the connection between the handle-and boom.

The invention is not limited to the details of the structure disclosed and described herein, but is intended to cover all substitutions, modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims, in which the term generally in the shape of a quarter sphere, as applied to the shape of the dipper body shell, is intended to take into account the V-like upwardly divergent form of thevdipper front, and the flat central form extending from the lower front of the shell to the upper rear thereof.

We claim:

1. A trench hoe open front and top, said top being curved along substantially of an arc of a circle as measured in top-plan, said front being generally V-shaped in front elevation and being formed of a pair of elongate upwardly diver gent strips of metal, a rigid cross bar extending across the front of said dipper and secured between the upper portions of said, strips, a pair of cutting blades integrally secured along the outer. sides of said. strips, said. cutting dipper having a body shell with an blades being of hardened metal and having forwardly disposed cutting edges therealong, the lower ends of said strips being spaced from one another, a substantially flat plate of hardened metal extending between and integrally secured to the lower ends of said strips and having a forwardly disposed edge, cutting means on the forwardly disposed edge of said flat plate, a substantially rocker-shaped strip of metal curved along substantially 90 of an arc of a circle measured in side elevation, said strip having a lower forward end integrally secured to said plate and curving upwardly and rearwardly therefrom to an upper rear end disposed adjacent the top of the body shell, a brace affixed to and extending between said cross bar and the upper rear end of said rocker-shaped plate, and concave-convex sheet metal side plates integrally secured on each side of said rocker-shaped strip and to the respective upwardly divergent strips.

2. In combination with a trench hoe dipper as claimed in claim 1, an excavating machine having a dipper stick and a pull-cable system, generally centrally disposed lug means aflixed on said cross bar, a connectionbetween the lug means and the lower end of the dipper stick, a rigid diagonal strut having one end connected to the dipper stick above the lower end thereof, lug means aflixed on the upper of said body shell adjacent the upper rear end of said rocker-shaped plate and connected to the other end of the strut, and a pair of lugs respectively afiixed symmetrically on said cross bar between said centrally disposed lug means and the outer ends of the cross bar and connected to the pull-cable system, whereby pulling forces may be applied to the body shell via said cross bar, said cross bar, strips, rockershaped plate, brace, dipper stick and strut constituting a framework maintaining said body shell in fixed relationship with said dipper stick.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 816,057 Alexander Mar. 27, 1906 2,084,718 Zeilman June 22, 1937 2,148,171 Paris et a1. Feb. 21, 1939 2,158,348 Young May 16, 1939 2,411,498 Billings Nov. 26, 1946 2,660,323 Carlesimo Nov. 24, 1953 2,838,856 Buisse June 17, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES Publication: Multi-Purpose Gradall, pages 10, 14, and 16, the Warner Swasey Company, Cleveland, Ohio, received in the Patent Oflice May 31, 1955. 

